


How Schubert would have liked it

by impilusa



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Minor Byun Baekhyun/Oh Sehun - Sebaek, Minseok likes Jongdae, Professor Kim Minseok, Romance, Symphony director Kim Jongdae, jongdae is clueless, schubert jokes, their students shipp them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-12
Updated: 2020-03-12
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:22:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23284708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impilusa/pseuds/impilusa
Summary: Minseok is a humble music professor with perhaps an overdeveloped sense of responsibility toward his students, a bit too much enthusiasm for his weekend football league, and a shaky grasp on PowerPoint. He's delighted to be offered the chance to have his students sit in on weeks of rehearsals with the symphony's new conductor.He's less delighted that it would un-professorly of him to jump on the podium and rip the conductor's clothes off.
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Comments: 12
Kudos: 42
Collections: SnowSpark Fest Round One





	How Schubert would have liked it

**Author's Note:**

> This is the prompt #10 of the SnowSpark FicFest!

MinSeok’s life was peaceful. Or well, at least all the peaceful it can be when you are a teacher of seniors at high school. It might be a nightmare sometimes, well, most of the time. But there’s a reason: it isn’t easy dealing with 18 years old kids who don’t know what to do with their lives − and with puberty hitting them with acne and body changes.

But within everything, he was handling his stuff well. When he wasn't correcting assignments and preparing his classes, he was dealing with his old computer and the Power Point, with which he couldn't get along. He was in the process of getting to grips with that devil software, but he still managed from time to time to present some slides in front of his class before he hit the wrong button and the whole program restarted. So then he would proceed to do a rhythmic dictation for those who laughed of his shaky grasp on every type of technology.

Oh, and when he wasn't dealing with classes or the Power Point, he was looking for recipes in his grandmother's old recipe book, or running back and forth across the field in his weekend soccer league. Although MinSeok wasn't quite sure how he ended up playing there. The truth was that his intention had been to coach young children at the club where his team rented a field for training, but he ended up scoring for the team. He wasn’t able to ignore the requests of his teammates, saying that they only needed one player to be complete.

MinSeok liked to save the day, and allow others to lean on him. If he could volunteer to perform a task, he would gladly do it. He liked to help and strive to give his best, and that was what he always tried to convey to his students in Music class.

Not that they paid much attention to him, anyways. At the first time that the handsome conductor of the school symphony had come to ask if they were willing to sit during the weeks of rehearsal with the symphonic band to fill the spaces in the stands and wave some flags, the reaction of his students had been of pure joy because it meant that they were not going to have classes. The part of MinSeok that was morally responsible for their students and their learning, mentally told him "Don't you even think about it!" But the fact that his students were so enthusiastic about the proposal, and that the new conductor of the symphony was a walking beauty, helped him with his decision.

"Of course. We will be there every Tuesday and Thursday at this hour.”

The shouts of joy from his students upon hearing the answer were a clear indication that they preferred to be there than to have a few hours of Music class per week. Of course it seemed boring to them because it was all about theory and semi-diffs. But it was fine, MinSeok told himself. They would  _ still  _ have Wednesdays just for them. MinSeok didn’t plan to make it easy for his students after their betrayal. They would have to fight with all the corcheas and eighth notes and semi-diff’s he would totally shoot at them.

"Thank you. I'll see you on Tuesday then, Professor Kim,” replied the director.

"Wait!" MinSeok ran out of the hall, causing the symphony conductor to stop halfway down the hall. “You haven't told me your name, director!”

"I’m JongDae," he replied, and his mega-ultra bright smile blinded MinSeok. "Kim JongDae," he added.

And that's how it all started: with a professional invitation to attend the rehearsals for the symphony and the James Bond-style introduction by the conductor. That was  _ all  _ it took for the disastrously open and undisguised crush on Kim MinSeok to begin with Professor Kim JongDae.

***

The first trial was a disaster.

MinSeok had to threaten his poor students not to make faces. But the truth was that the band sounded bad. No, not bad. It sounded  _ terrible _ . It was painful to the ears, so much so that MinSeok’s were about to bleed.

"I know they don't sound good," JongDae told MinSeok when the students dropped out for recess. “In fact, they suck. I  _ know _ ."

"Well, it's not like Schubert was going to rise from the grave to cheer for them," MinSeok commented with a laugh.

"You are right, Professor Kim. Schubert would get up to spit them out and then go back to sleep, ”JongDae said, laughing too.

JongDae's laughter was somewhat outrageous, but MinSeok thought it fit him. In fact, everything he did, said, and dressed fit his person perfectly. He was simply made to measure.

Actually, he was tailor-made for MinSeok.

Starting from his age (two years younger than him, around thirty), his perfectly groomed black hair, his blinding smile and his dressing style bordering on formal, Kim JongDae was perfect. As if a supreme entity had designed it so that MinSeok would fall extremely in love with him… because he made a Schubert joke with him.

He was totally perfect.

"But I promise I'll make them sound good in a few weeks,” JongDae said after a few moments. “So please, Professor Kim, be proud of them when they rock that presentation.”

MinSeok gave him the most beautiful smile in the world. "I will."

That's why Tuesdays and Thursdays suddenly became holy days for MinSeok. There was no way he wasn't going to school, whether it was raining outside his house or he got a cold that was equivalent to being hit by a truck.

He simply wouldn’t miss his attendance at the symphony rehearsals for any reason.

His students at first hadn’t noticed it as something strange. As dedicated as MinSeok was to his classes, it didn't strike them as odd that MinSeok had the same level of compromise with the rehearsals. He was always willing to give compliments, help carry instruments here and there, accommodate students in the stands, give orders, and follow every instruction from the Director JongDae.

But nobody missed the way MinSeok's eyes always seemed to go to JongDae. There came a point when it was almost ridiculous, and all the students were whispering about it in a low voice, noticing the obvious crush that the professor of Music had for the director. 

JongDae, on the other hand, hadn’t even noticed the flight of a fly.

At first, MinSeok wasn’t bothered by it - in fact, it had even seemed like fun for him. The fact that the director was absent-minded was adorable, and each passing day made him even more beautiful to MinSeok’s eyes.

But at the same time, it was extremely frustrating.

"Director JongDae! You look extremely handsome today!” It was one of his usual greetings.

However, the answers always sank deeper and deeper. “Thank you for noticing, Professor Kim. You are someone very detailed. Today I wore a different tie!”

Or also: “You are such a liar, Professor Kim. Today I went out for a run and I look a bit more sweaty than usual, are you sure I look as handsome as you say? ”

MinSeok wanted to pull his hair out when he heard the laughter of his students − or as he called them in his head, the  _ nasty traitors _ .

He had thought he was being obvious in his attraction. He had already given up on his subtleties, and was trying to flirt blatantly with him. However, everyone had noticed it except JongDae. At this pace, he was going to jump on him and rip off his clothes to make him notice how much he wanted him.

"You’re terrible, MinSeok," BaekHyun scoffed at him. The professor’s room had a strong smell of coffee and betrayal from his friend, the History teacher. "All the teachers talk about how you flirt with Kim blatantly."

MinSeok buried his face in his hands. He could imagine the rumor running between the professors. Surely every teacher that meet him that day knew his secret-not-so-secret crush on the symphony director. 

Everyone except the man he was after.

"It's a tragedy. He doesn’t get anything I say. It's like he doesn’t understand what flirting means,” MinSeok cried.

"Maybe he is one of those people who needs to be told directly, because he clearly doesn’t grasp the subtleties."

"I know, I know." MinSeok watched his friend with a pout, not sure what he should do. "But do you think he will correspond to me?"

BaekHyun smiled at him over the rim of his coffee cup.

"If you don't try, you’ll never know."

"I get it. But what about you?" MinSeok gave his friend a mischievous look. "Have you already tried it with the teacher you like?"

"Shut up, Kim!" BaekHyun yelled, flushed to the ears.

With a laugh, MinSeok went to find coffee for himself. He could hear his friend choking when a tall man entered the staff room, and if he wasn't mistaken, it was the professor BaekHyun liked. So he rushed to finish his coffee and leave to give him privacy, encouraging his friend to conquer this guy with an imperturbable face.

That same afternoon, during rehearsals, BaekHyun's words circled MinSeok's head. He knew that his friend was right and that the best thing he could do was go and directly tell JongDae what he thought, or better yet, formally invite him on a date. But seeing the professor being this absent-minded made MinSeok realize that it was part of JongDae's charm as well, so he wondered if he could wait a little longer before making his first move.

Even when seeing him so beautiful standing at the podium and giving instructions with his baton was getting more and more difficult each time. Difficult for him to not jump over the director and do some indecent things in front of their students. 

"Professor MinSeok, is everything alright?" JongDae's smile was warm. The rehearsal was over, and the two men were walking together to the staff room for coffee. "You seem distracted," he added.

"I'm fine, director JongDae," MinSeok replied, returning the smile. "I was just thinking. How would romantically approach a person who doesn’t catch any of your hints? ”

"Mmm," JongDae looked forward thoughtfully. "I would start by looking for something I had in common with that person and then I would make an appointment from there."

Well, the man sure had some good ideas. MinSeok smiled, already planning something in his mind; but since he still didn't want to look too obvious, he ended up taking the conversation elsewhere.

"By the way, I'm curious," he murmured, looking at the handsome profile of the director. "What instruments can you play?"

They arrived at the teacher’s room at that very moment, meeting BaekHyun and the professor Oh SeHun, from Mathematics. Both teachers went silent when they saw them enter, and JongDae took advantage of that moment to respond. "I know how to play the guitar, the piano, and the flute.”

BaekHyun's hilarious laugh made MinSeok's face turn the same colour as a beet.

"Seriously?" Professor Oh asked with a smile and a bit of mischief. "I also know how to play  _ the  _ flute," he declared, turning to see BaekHyun.

This time it was MinSeok's turn to laugh like a maniac at his friend's embarrassment.

***

The days passed and there was less time for the symphony concert, which by the way, with each rehearsal they actually started to sound better. The entire school would attend, because they would be the opening of the great and important football game of the school’s team. They had reached the final of the interscholastic championship, even when MinSeok had kept his technical instructions to himself every Friday that he had come to see them play. He would give them the credit of that.

One of his students was also the team captain, and he was very close to not being able to play his next game because of his low grades. MinSeok had noticed that the boy was trying hard enough to feel a little sorry for him.

"What's wrong, ChanYeol?" He approached the boy on one of the band’s breaks, pushing him aside the student’s crowd so he could speak privately to him. "You know if you don't turn in your homework by tomorrow, I'm going to have to give you a low grade, right?"

The boy was tall and stocky, so it was almost comical to see him cringe at MinSeok's words. The teacher was not trying to preach him, he was simply reminding him that a bad grade could make him lose his place in the next game.

"I know," the boy replied dejectedly. "But I don't think I'll get to finish the paper on time. I guess I will have to get that F.”

"Why can't you, Park?"

"I ... I have to work at nights to pay the rent for my house. It is the condition that my dad set out for me to stay and live with him since he and my mother divorced.”

MinSeok knew little about his student's situation, so hearing that surprised him. He wondered how good a father could be when he required his own son to pay the rent if he wanted to stay and live with him.

"Okay, let's do one something." MinSeok looked at him sternly, but his heart softened at seeing Park's eager gaze. “I’ll give you until Monday to deliver it. I suppose that during the weekend you can find a space to finish it. Does it sound good to you? And if you have any doubts, you can send me an email from eight in the morning to eight at night every day. ”

"Yes! Oh god thank you so much Professor Kim! I will definitely not disappoint you.”

"So be it, Park." He patted his arm and let him go. He was glad Park left with a smile that big. It matched him.

"Wow ... so this is what your students were referring to when they talked about why you are their favorite teacher." JongDae's voice startled him, and MinSeok turned to him a bit embarrassed.

But the ear-to-ear smile that JongDae's words caused him didn't fade. "I suppose. I only want the best for them. ”

"Noticeable. You are a great teacher, MinSeok.” At least now they called each other by name, and that had a butterflies tornado effect on MinSeok's stomach.

"Thank you, JongDae, you too. The band is sounding great. They are definitely going to show off in the presentation.”

"I hope so." JongDae didn't seem very sure about it.

MinSeok approached him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Don't you even hesitate a bit. And if it goes wrong, we can still pull our pants up to our ribs and do a dance with poles and a hat to distract the attention of the audience.”

JongDae's laugh was all that MinSeok needed to feel his heart at peace.

  
  


***

MinSeok was doubting that bringing BaekHyun to his home to help him choose the perfect outfit for tonight had been a good idea. The man inspected his entire wardrobe and now there was a perfectly-messy pile of clothes on his bed. MinSeok didn't like the mess and the one BaekHyun had made was making him nervous.

"I found  _ it _ ! The perfect pants! ” BaekHyun's scream brought MinSeok out of his reveries. A garment landed right in the center of his face, causing the Music teacher to sway. "Try it on right now!"

"BaekHyun, I haven't worn these pants since I was twenty-two years old."

"So what? There is always time to bring retro things back. Come on! Put them on, I wanna see!"

They were black jean pants, which were actually quite normal. The problem was that they adjusted his legs and ass, and MinSeok had lost the confidence he had back then to dress them up. His thighs were a little fuller now and his ass was marked quite well, and he was a little too much embarrassed to wear them.

"Wow. JongDae will  _ die  _ when he sees you in them.” BaekHyun was smiling as if he had somehow made MinSeok win the lottery. "They look great on you!"

"Do you really think so? Am I not a little older to use them? ”

“There is no age to look handsome, MinSeok. And you have a man to conquer,” BaekHyun wisely said.

"I doubt JongDae pays too much attention to how I look. He will be busy worrying about Schubert's ears not bleeding. ”

"Who's Schubert?" BaekHyun asked, distractedly checking the pile of clothes on the bed. "Is he a new teacher?"

MinSeok's laughter earned him another hit to the face. This time it was an electric blue button-down shirt. “Try that on yourself and stop laughing at my ignorance. SeHun will come to pick us up at six, teachers must be at least one hour before the event. ”

"So SeHun, huh?" MinSeok looked at him amused. "Are you guys officially dating yet?"

"Not yet. Perhaps he will ask me today.”

"And how is he? Does he treat you well?"

"He's  _ big _ ."

MinSeok tossed him a bun-made T-shirt, causing BaekHyun to groan. "That’s not what I asked!"

“Yes, yes, he does treat me well. Very good, actually. And I really like him. When you and JongDae start to go out, let's go on a double date. ”

"Deal."

MinSeok was glad that BaekHyun already took it for granted that he was going to conquer the director. It gave him a little more confidence to wear those pants that were making itch his butt.

***

The constant noise of conversations, whistles, and shouts had momentarily stunned MinSeok when he entered the soccer field. The symphony was already settling in the stands and they were going to play two pop songs adapted to orchestras before the match began.

The entire school was already present in the stands and they accumulated with their pennants, gloves, hats and jackets with the colors of the school. MinSeok was in excellent spirits because he had been showered with compliments for his good looks and because he had even come to wish Park good luck before coming to the field to settle in with the other teachers.

He spotted JongDae standing in the field, on the other side of the fence that separated the space for the stands. The symphony stretched out in front of him, and everyone seemed nervous reviewing and tuning their instruments for the last time before it all began. He could tell they were a little tense but excited, and that made him smile.

"Everything ready for the show?" MinSeok asked JongDae when he reached his side, barely touching his arm to let him know he was there.

"Yes, we are. I just need the signal to start.” JongDae's words were the complete opposite of his nervous posture and how quickly the words came out of his mouth. He was too nervous, so much so that it was even funny to see him. He wasn’t a man who lost his composure easily.

"JongDae, listen." MinSeok took JongDae by the shoulders and turned him to make him look at his eyes. “You just have to relax and trust them. Everything will be fine. There’ll probably be mistakes, but in the end, it's just for all of us to have a good time today, so don't worry too much about it. Okay?"

JongDae's eyes flashed and a smile spread across his lips. "Okay, yeah." He rested one hand, just one, on MinSeok's waist, making the teacher look at him in surprise. "Thanks for everything, MinSeok."

At that very moment, MinSeok heard shouts from afar for the viewers to be silent. MinSeok had to get out of there and let JongDae and the band shine.

"It's nothing, JongDae," he hastened to reply. “Now, go with them and tell them some motivational phrase. I am sure that  _ anything  _ you tell them will cheer them up.”

"I will. See you later." He looked at him one last time. "And by the way, you look good."

“You too, JongDae.” MinSeok blushed and waved him off.

He scampered around the field until he was standing next to the other teachers, and got a thumbs up from BaekHyun. Then the playing field entered in an almost sepulchral silence, like a thin layer of ice that was an instant away from breaking.

"Let's rock this!" JongDae yelled in his impressively loud and piercing voice, making the students in the stands laugh and especially those in the symphony relax and get into position.

It was one of the most beautiful shows that MinSeok witnessed. Not only because within everything there were almost no mistakes in the interpretation of both pieces, but because JongDae had such a bright smile that it melted him. His eyes shone like two lanterns, full of stars inside, because it showed how much he was enjoying being able to do that. MinSeok could tell JongDae was in love with his profession, that he loved music, that he loved what he was doing. And that, in a way excited him too, because he was extremely proud of him and his students.

When the band finished playing, the applause was thunderous. MinSeok saw JongDae run to the bleachers and speak to them as the party now unleashed on the field, the whistles and screams of encouragement cutting through the magical atmosphere that had been woven. It had been perfect and now it was time to pass the spotlight on to the true protagonists of the night, but they would never forget the precious moment that the students and their instruments had given them.

"Professor Kim, did you hear how good we sounded?!" Students who recognized MinSeok walking through the stands began to harass him with excited questions. "Did you like it?"

"It turned out great! You guys sounded perfect! It was so beautiful. Thank you for trying so hard. I will keep this moment forever in my heart.”

After praising several students and searching for many eternal minutes for the director, MinSeok finally managed to get to JongDae. Now the man was on one side of the stands, watching the game without really seeing it. His gaze was lost in his thoughts, but his smile from ear to ear clearly revealed what he was thinking.

"It turned out perfect," MinSeok commented when he stopped next to him. “I’m so proud of them, of  _ you… _ ”

“I’m glad it all went well. I’m so happy right now.”

“I told you, there was nothing to worry about,” said MinSeok in the exact same moment JongDae turned to see him. "Shubert would have been proud.”

“You’re such a liar,” laughed Jongdae.

MinSeok thought it was the perfect timing to ask him out, so he decided he would be honest with him and stop going in circles around the director. “Uh, actually I was wondering if you..."

"I would love to," JongDae interrupted, looking up at him with bright eyes. "I want to go out with you, MinSeok."

"How did you know?" Asked him in shock.

JongDae's laughter echoed throughout the stands, drawing the attention of some students. "You were so obvious!  _ All  _ of our students knew that you were flirting with me. The told me several times they  _ shipp  _ us. Did you think I wasn't going to notice? Even Schubert was rolling his eyes at every time you thought I wasn’t getting your hilarious pick up lines”

"But you…"

"It was nice to see you try," he simply explained. “Also, if I had fallen for you earlier, I probably would have missed the opportunity to see you wearing those tight pants.”

The man had a point, MinSeok thought. He sighed with a smirk. “You’re so nasty, director Kim. I like you.”

"Thank you. I like me too,” he answered, making MinSeok burst out a laugh. “So..." JongDae gave him a cat smile. "Would you pick me up tomorrow at eight, professor?"

"Okay. But… I would also like to take you out today. ”

"I would be pleased."

MinSeok smiled at him, and unable to suppress his desire, he gently took JongDae’s hand. He heard some shouts and cheers from the students behind them and he already knew that the whole crowd was watching them, but honestly, at that moment he didn’t care. JongDae's warm and slightly sweaty hand was more than enough to make him forget his embarrassment and just let him smile as if he had won the lottery.

Maybe it wasn't the tight pants, or the cheesy phrases he had blurted out during rehearsals; maybe it wasn't even the jokes about classical music, or the bitter coffees in the staff room, or the extremely greasy fries they ate after the game. It might not even have been that sloppy wet kiss they shared a few hours later at the restaurant door. 

But somehow, MinSeok had won JongDae's heart and he was going to play for him the most beautiful piano melodies to let him know how he had won his heart too.

Shubert would have been completely proud of him.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> When I first saw this prompt I immediately loved it. I'm so happy to have the opportunity to participate of the fest with such a lovely prompt! And to any reader, thank you so much for reading the story and I hope you enjoyed it as much as Jongdae enjoyed seeing Minseok with his tight pants.


End file.
